


No Suit Quite Like It

by kaminagi



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-25
Updated: 2014-08-25
Packaged: 2018-02-14 01:25:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2172672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaminagi/pseuds/kaminagi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's like the most insanely perfect thing Ariadne has ever seen for him.  "I got you a present!"  "Thank you.  It's... lovely and I'll treasure it always?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Suit Quite Like It

**Author's Note:**

  * For [metonymy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/metonymy/gifts), [sevenfoxes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sevenfoxes/gifts).



It's like the most insanely perfect thing Ariadne has ever seen for him. Arthur is going to Toronto next week for research, so she books the appointment for him, hammers out some details with the consultant ("He'll know what you're talking about - he knows his suits!" Ariadne assures the clerk on the phone), and pays for it all in advance, even though the clerk on the phone is a little flustered at how nonchalant she is about the price.

(What's $20 000, really? It's not like she doesn't have money to burn these days. She's actually tempted to do it literally sometimes.)

"I got you a present!" she announces when he steps into the apartment, feeling absurdly pleased with herself.

She hands Arthur a card where she's scrawled out the location, date, and time on a card. He flips it over and examines the poor card stock.

"Thank you. It's... lovely and I'll treasure it always?"

Ariadne frowns at him. "Go there on that day at that time."

"You want me to go to a tailor while I'm in Toronto."

"Yes. And I've already paid for it, so there's no turning back."

In the four years they've been together, he knows from her expression that he is not allowed to argue with her.

 

 

 

He's completely thrown off when he gets there. Sure, he's gotten a custom made suit before at Saville Row, so it's not the experience that surprises him. And there's no questions asked as to why he would need a suit like this. ("International finance?" the clerk says with a smile. "You could call it something like that," Arthur hedges.)

"Perfect fit," he compliments the tailor.

"Your friend almost insisted on a live demonstration when she was booking the appointment," the tailor remarks.

"She likes to see things for herself," Arthur says absently, remembering how downright _gleeful_ Ariadne had been when she handed him the card.

When his thoughts manage to find their way back to present day Toronto, Arthur marvels at the suit. It's discreet and comfortable. Nobody could guess it was made of carbon nanotubes and would be lighter than Kevlar.

"The nanotubes in the fabric harden to block force from penetrating through," the tailor says with quiet but clear pride. "That way, the entire suit acts as a shield. It can stop a 22, 9mm, and a 45."

"It's amazing."

The professionalism of the tailors should be enough to assure him that the suit is exactly what was ordered (even after he gets to see a live demonstration that Ariadne would have rather enjoyed and hears all the technical details), but he still has some doubts. Still, it's a fantastic suit in terms of cut, quality, and style.

On the other hand, he gets to learn firsthand how _fantastic_ about a week later when it turns out to be extremely effective during the job - who would have thought he'd need it so soon?

 

 

 

The instant Ariadne opens the door to greet him, Arthur lifts her off the ground and spins her around.

"You are the greatest woman I've ever met!"

She's breathless from the spinning and laughing, but manages to get him to set her down.

"I take that you really liked it, then?" Ariadne smirks. "Hmm... maybe I should ask for something in return..."

Arthur holds her at arm's length, grinning ridiculously at her. Her mind is trying to think of something clever and devious as a request, when she realizes that he's now holding both her hands in his and his expression has become impossibly fond for some reason.

"Marry me," he says abruptly.

"Sure thi...." Ariadne blinks at him. "Wait, w-what? Are you joking? You're joking, you're so overwhelmed with the fact a _bulletproof suit exists_ and you now own one that you're joking. Me, getting married? I'm _never_ getting married, can you imagine something like that? Oh my god, that's so funny."

She laughs hysterically for a minute and looks at him. His expression is unreadable, but he chuckles a little when he notices she's staring at him.

"Ummm... I was going to ask for something like really kinky sex," Ariadne says, shifting uncomfortably on her feet.

In two seconds, he's swept her up into his arms and they're off to the bedroom.

 

 

 

It's six months later when he asks again, with a ring and everything. She's wearing her pyjamas and her hair's a mess and she's only _just_ had her morning coffee. He says that it was something about seeing her in his arms that morning that made him decide today, right now, was perfect.

The fact that she can _feel_ how untidy she looks tells her she's not dreaming, though the rather sparkly diamond being held out to her by Arthur as he's kneeling down on the floor while she sits on the edge of the bed is really misleading.

"In the four years we've known each other," Ariadne says slowly, "That day was the point where you thought-"

"This is it. This is the girl I'm going to marry, even if she says she's never getting married," he says solemnly. "It's going to happen."

"Seriously?"

Arthur nods. He's still holding the ring out. She takes a moment to try and push some hair from her face. Take another drink of coffee.

"You flipped out over it. That suit."

"Can you blame me? It _has_ saved my life," he points out. "Thanks to your amazing foresight."

"And incredible fashion sense," she adds.

"Which I will never criticize again, throughout what I hope will be a happy and successful lifelong marriage."

"Can I hold you to that, maybe in writing? 'Cause you're laying it on kinda thick."

Arthur's trying not to smile, but the dimples are there. Just like that diamond. She'd reach out and touch it, but she's thinking that Arthur might try something sneaky like grab her hand. Not that she'd mind, but her brain is still working on catching up on the fact (not a dream) that Arthur wants to marry her.

"This only thing that would make this hilarious and less believable is if you were actually wearing that suit. Instead of, you know, sweatpants and a t-shirt."

"Should I put it on?"

This really is almost too funny. She bites her bottom lip.

"If this is a joke, you'd better," she says, "I'm going to shoot you if this is a joke."

"No joke."

Finally Ariadne leans over to hug him tightly and starts to giggle.

"So...?"

"Oh, yes. Definitely yes."

Arthur removes her arms from his neck so he can slide the ring onto her finger and kiss her.

"I should be incredibly pissed off that this moment was brought to me by a bulletproof suit, which I suppose you'll probably wear to the wedding?" Ariadne murmurs. "I was secretly hoping it would be something more clichéd, like the day you said 'I love you,' or something."

"Greatest woman in the world. What else can I say? You know what I like - why would I ever let you go?"

**Author's Note:**

> When I saw [this post](http://anachronistique.tumblr.com/post/95030344058/did-you-kno-torontos-garrison-bespoke-has), it made me smile way too much after feeling rather sad. So this is for metonymy and sevensneakyfoxes, who both inspired this. I hope they don't mind me lifting parts of their conversation for dialogue.


End file.
